The lagoon monster to Istanbul

Simona Favrin has conceived me in her dreams and then on paper, Eng. Roma made me strong by giving me a sound steel structure, Nicola Moretti covered me with glass scales trying to explain on my skin how millions years evolution hide underwater.  Romina Salvadori lent me her voice. Gianluca Orazio believed in me, and convinced his whole town to follow him and to follow me... today I’m here in Istanbul, former Byzantium, former Constantinople. My path has been aesthetically byzantine and ethically linear. I am swimming and navigating across the Mediterranean. I want to cross the Bosphorus and reach the Black Sea. My instinct cannot be controlled. If one morning you find the Cistern empty you will know where to find me: Asia!”

(Jean Blanchaert, starring the Monster)

On Saturday  3th March 2012, in the slow and inexorable movement of the water the voice  of the Monster, conceived by Romina Salvadori, Emanuele Wiltsch Barberio and Massimiliano Lupo with Fulvio A.T. Renzi has charmed the over thousand people who went to the Cistern Basilica in Istanbul to meet the Lagoon Monster.

A huge success has been achieved by the event-exhibition “The Lagoon Monster in Istanbul”, organised by Forme d’Acqua, Favrindesign and Nicola Moretti, in cooperation with the Metropolitan City of Istanbul and Kultur A.S., supported by the Administration of Cavallino Treporti, the Venice Chamber of Commerce with Venezia Opportunità, Consorzio Promovetro Murano and Confartigianato, and with the help of the Italian Embassy in Ankara and the Italian Institute of Culture in Istanbul.

The event was introduced by the Italian Ambassador in Ankara, Gianpaolo Scarante, followed by the speech by the Mayor of Cavallino Treporti, Claudio Orazio and by the distinguished presence of Ahmet Selamet, deputy mayor of the Metropolitan City of Istanbul. The legend of the Monster was told thanks to the kind intercession of Mrs. Barbara Marengo, translated into Turkish by Mr. Tanju Þahan of the Italian Institute of Culture in Istanbul. Then followed the speech by the work designer, Arch. Simona M. Favrin and the cultural advisor of the project, the Milan gallery manager Jean Blanchaert, who was welcomed by an excited audience. The event was also attended by the manager of the Italian Institute of Culture in Istanbul, Gabriella Fortunato, the manager of Cultur A.S., Sabri Dereli, the manager of Kültür A.Þ. A tribute was also paid to Mrs. Emel Altan Age, ambassador of the monster in Istanbul.

The exhibition was open until 6 April 2012: the work was admired in one of the most charming and mysterious venues in Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnýcý), which seems to be the natural venue of this magic creature.